Las Alcobas

Las Alcobas has long been a hub for high-end travelers with a keen eye for design. Set in a former private residence in Polanco with only 35 rooms, the handsome, intimate hotel was recently overhauled by Yabu Pushelberg, the team behind the original design. Interiors in earthy tones have luxury accents like fine Italian bed linens and spa-like marble bathrooms with tubs and rain showers. One of the hotel’s most striking elements is the rosewood spiral staircase at the entranceway. While the inviting interiors and service alone are worth checking into Las Alcobas, the convenient location is just as much of a draw: Located on Masaryk Avenue, Mexico City’s answer to Fifth Avenue, the hotel is wedged between Chapultepec Park Blvd. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, lined with cultural institutions including Museo Soumaya and the Colección Jumex.

Polanco is one of Mexico City’s most beautiful and energetic neighborhoods, and at its heart is Las Alcobas, a hotel that offers relaxation and respite from the bustling metropolis. The hotel brings to life the notion of modern Mexico. The 35 rooms are done up in a sophisticated palette of black, white, and gray, and each has a complimentary minibar stocked with tamarind sticks and other local snacks. Guests can try an authentic Mexican healing ritual in the hotel’s cozy spa or taste cuisine such as the traditional Veracruz red snapper dish at Dulce Patria, a cantina-style restaurant from chef Martha Ortiz.

I loved my stay at this delightful boutique hotel. The rooms are modern and very comfortable. I was lucky enough to stay in the Suite Las Alcobas and it was incredible. The staff is great, and owner Samuel Leizotez has thought of every detail, down to the handmade soap in the rooms. Highly recommend.

Comfortable, upscale Hotel Las Alcobas is a welcoming antidote to Mexico City’s engaging but often cacophonous sprawl, a contained boutique property with 35 peaceful rooms right in the center of the ritzy Polanco neighborhood. Though it’s literally just steps from some of Polanco’s top draws, including exceptional restaurants and interesting boutiques and shops, the interior calm of Las Alcobas and its on-site Aurora Spa offers rest and respite in a luxurious, high-tech, yet unpretentious setting.

It’s easy to walk past Las Alcobas without realizing it’s a hotel; the seven-story building is sheathed in opaque glass, obscuring its loveliest design secrets. Open the hotel’s main door, however, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by splendid contemporary touches. The most obvious element is the impressive staircase spiraling from the lobby to the top floor, but features await inside guest rooms, where hand-stitched leather wall treatments, hand-knotted rugs, and custom-made rosewood furniture define the aesthetic. Both the building and the furniture were designed by architect Yabu Pushelberg.

It’s the little things that distinguish a good hotel from a great one, and Hotel Las Alcobas excels in special touches that make their guests’ stays sublime. When you check-in, expect to be presented with a glass of one of the country’s famous “aguas,” made with fresh fruit. Once in your room, a butler will present you with a selection of locally made soaps (try nopal, or cactus) and will also show you the mini-bar, stocked with free drinks and snacks (alcohol is extra), which are replenished daily. Nightly turn-down service includes artisanal chocolate presented in a pretty box.

While staying in Polanco at the luxurious Las Alcobas, my colleague and I had breakfast in the hotel every morning before heading to the office. Our friendly waiter brought us fresh fruits topped with dried coconut and drizzled with coconut milk and honey. The customer service is impeccable and the food delicious. The attached fine dining restaurant, Dulce Patria, was also a treat featuring the food of Mexico.

Las Alcobas is my favorite hotel in Mexico City and one of my favorites in the world. The design is by Yabu Pushelberg (you’re looking down at the spiral staircase in the middle of the building), the service is professional but very warm, and the food is extraordinary.

Striking floral arrangements add a refreshing, feminine touch to the lobby. After an energetic day visiting city-sights, the flowers offered a calming effect. I was fortunate to stay long enough at Las Alcobas to see the weekly change in display.

When you’re cocooned inside your quiet, comfortable room at Las Alcobas, it’s hard to imagine there’s a place nearby that is still more peaceful and relaxing, but there is. The hotel’s Aurora Spa features treatments inspired by Mexico‘s indigenous cultures, including the Aztec, Mayan, Olmec, and Toltec. From the Tepezcohuite Body Drench, which uses the bark of the Mexican skin tree, to the Avena y Agave (Oatmeal and Agave Plant) and Arroz con Leche y Rompope (Rice Pudding and Eggnog) scrubs, the ingredients and techniques of Aurora’s unique treatments are drawn from centuries of local wisdom and knowledge.

Anatol, located in Hotel Las Alcobas, has a warm and intimate dining room whose vibe is congruent with that of the hotel that hosts it. The menu ranges from contemporary Mexican (try the tempura squash blossoms) to American classics like mac and cheese, reflecting the cultural and culinary influences of its chefs, Mexican Mayra Victoria and American Justin Ermini. Many plates are deliberately small and are made for sharing; order several to sample the range available. And don’t skip cocktails or dessert; both menus are inventive. The “Trifle de Cafe de Olla,” a boca negra cake served with cream of coffee and brown sugar ice cream, is especially delicious. The restaurant also manages the hotel’s room service menu.